Daine, Numair, and the wolf/man
by Lori Skylark
Summary: All Tamora Pierce characters. Except for the ones you don't know.
1. Wolfman

Numair, Daine and the wolf/man  
  
"Stop!" Cried the tall black haired man thrashing around in bed. "No! No! Leave her  
alone! DAINE!"  
  
"Numair, Numair?" Daine was awake and at his side hovering like a hen over it's  
chicks. She rested a gentle hand on his shoulder and murmured comforting words to her  
love.  
  
He quieted slowly and was sleeping peacefully when there was a knock at the door,  
"Who is it?" Daine asked opening the door a crack, "Oh, Tkaa hello."  
  
"How is he?" Asked the tall lizard walking into the room.   
  
"Still no good, I don't know what to do. The healers can't do anything for him. I've  
tried all the natural things. It's like when he was a hawk, there's nothing I can do." Her  
tear filled eyes met the immortals, "He's going to die. I don't want him to but he is.   
Even Alanna couldn't bring him back,"  
  
"Can you tell me what happened?" Tkaa asked. "I know it's a strange tale, but I may be  
able to help."  
  
The young woman sighed and went back in time:  
  
They were in their room having a quite dinner, Numair was speaking, "Well can I go  
with you?"   
  
She smiled. "Of course love, the rabbit's not far let's walk."  
  
Later that night after she had found and healed the rabbit, a terror stricken fox almost ran  
into Daine's legs.  
  
{What's wrong?} Daine asked trying to use her magic to calm the creature down.   
  
{There's hunters! A creature! There running around the forest, no one knows what it  
is!} The fox was in panic. It passed out at her feet. Cloud and picked up the  
unconscious fox.  
  
"Daine? What is-"  
  
There was a crash in the woods, "Numair, I'm scared. I feel something, but..."   
  
It appeared from the trees, a half human half wolf. A wolf that walked upright, it's legs,  
arms and chest were human, it was seven feet tall. A human with a wolf's long snout  
and tail. It's body covered in thick black and brown hair. There was no mistaking that it  
was male.   
  
"What on earth?" Numair asked shocked as the creature looked at them. It's amber eyes  
intelligent.   
  
"Heiriop mifre." It said in a thick accented voice. The words muffled and strange in an  
animal that did not know how to speak.   
  
"Preleus!"   
  
"What's it saying, Numair?"   
  
"It-He's saying help me, please."  
  
Daine handed Numair the fox and walked up to the creature, Numair tried to stop her but  
she was focused on the frightened thing. "I won't hurt you." She said when she was a  
foot away from it.  
  
He looked down at her, amazed. His powerful nose caught the scent of all the animals  
the young woman had visited that day. From across the clearing the creature could see  
the tall man and could smell the dusty books the man had been buried in for most of his  
day. He could also smell the fear in both of them.  
  
"Hunters." He said looking over his shoulder.   
  
There was the blow of a horn and the barking of hound dogs from deep in the forest.   
  
"He's being hunted," Daine said, "We can't let him get caught."  
  
"Daine, you don't know why he's being hunted. He could have killed someone."  
  
But already Daine had called to the dogs and asked them to lead the hunters away.  
  
She took the creatures hand, the wolf/man flinched. "Now tell us what happened, who's  
chasing you, and why?"  
  
He sighed and looked back:  
  
Hungry, cold and wet the wolf/man stumbled into the village. He could smell the food in  
the market, and his stomach growled. He went into an ally and crouched near a garbage  
bin.  
  
There was a crash and bang the wolf/man looked over. There was a large muscled man  
standing over a frightened young girl with a ripped blouse. The wolf/man's keen ears  
caught their words.   
  
"You better give me what I want," The man was saying.  
  
"No, I will not dishonor myself!" Said the young pale faced girl with dark black hair and  
blue eyes who looked about sixteen.  
  
"You will do what I say. No one cares for you, you are a commoner. A nothing. I am a  
squire and am owed obedience." He covered her mouth with one hand and grabbed for  
her breasts with the other. The girl scratched and kicked to no avail, the man was much  
larger and stronger.   
  
His hand was just going under her skirt when the man/wolf realized that he had to do  
something. With a roar he jumped from his hiding spot and lept on the man.   
  
"What?!" The man screamed and ran a large claw scratch bleeding heavily on his left  
leg.  
  
The wolf/man looked at the girl. She looked at him her eyes filled with graditude and  
fear. She re-buttoned her blouse and put her skirt over her legs.  
  
"Um, um, t-thank you," She said weakly, her eyes red and puffy with tears.   
  
The wolf/man only stared at her. His chest rising and falling. The girl saw that she could  
see his ribs through his skin. She could even count them.  
  
"Are you hungry? Do you need food?" She picked up a basket of food she had dropped  
and got a loaf of bread. She held it out to him. He looked at it, his long snout came a  
little closer, but he pulled it away and shook his head. "Would you rather have meat?"  
The girl asked.  
  
The wolf/man shook his head again. He took a step back when the girl got to her feet.   
"You aren't afraid of me are you?" The girl asked amused. "You shouldn't be. I  
couldn't hurt you." She offered the bread again, "Please take this. You saved my honor,  
it's the least I can do."  
  
He reached out a clawed, furred hand and took the bread. He tore into it with hunger and  
savored every bite. The girl's looked into his amber eyes.  
  
"Can you speak?" She asked him.  
  
"Yires." He said quietly.  
  
"Not well though," She said, he nodded. "Do you have a name?"  
  
"Breieaeist." he said looking at her. "Crearutar."  
  
"Beast? Creature?" He nodded. "Those aren't names. Well they are names but they're  
not your name."  
  
He looked at her, "Yoreur narme?"  
  
"My name? Tanya."  
  
"Tarnyar?"  
  
"No, Tanya. Tan-ya"  
  
"Tanya?"  
  
She smiled, "Yes. Very good. So what should I call you? How about Markus? That  
was my daddy's name."  
  
"Was?"  
  
"He was killed in the immortals war." He looked at her clearly confused, "Three years  
ago immortals helped our enemies, and some helped us in a war. My father was at Pirate  
Swoop when he was killed in a fight with a killer centaur."  
  
"Suorrie." Said Markus.  
  
"It's okay. I missed him but soon I had other things to worry about. There was no one to  
help me so I had to become a servant at an old woman's house. It's not bad. It's not  
much and she doesn't give me a place to sleep, but I've found a place to live. It's not far,  
you want to come? You could hide there. You don't look like you can walk out in the  
open."  
  
Markus nodded and followed her through another network of allies into one that had a  
hidden niche where Tanya had put some blankets and other things. "You can stay here."  
  
Markus sat on the blanket. Tanya sighed, "I'll see you later, I have to go back to work..."  
  
While Tanya was away Markus feel asleep. It was just getting dark when he was woke  
up. There was a warm body next to him. He sat up startled. Tanya was sleeping next to  
him, he looked down at her sleeping figure. Her soft lips were parted a little to let her  
sweet breath into her lungs and out again. A whisp of her hair was in her face. He was   
brushing it away when she opened her eyes.   
  
He moved away, ashamed.  
  
The girl yawned and looked over at him. She sat up stretching. "Markus, it's okay. You  
didn't do anything wrong." She held out her hand, he took it. She pulled him closer.   
  
His hair rose all over his body. She looked into his eyes, they were inches away from  
each other, and saw the fear.   
  
"What are you afraid of?" She asked.  
  
"Everyone." He said clearly.  
  
She blinked at him. "You shouldn't be. There are good people out there. There are.   
You have to believe me."  
  
"But, preople heurt. They heurt me."  
  
"Do I?"  
  
"No." He admitted looking away.  
  
Tanya was about to say something when the barking began. Markus's ears went up.   
"Thuerue lueooking fer mifre."   
  
"Looking for you? Who?" Then she remembered. "The squire, he must have said  
something."  
  
"I herf to gro."  
  
"No, they can't find you here, just hide here." She pleaded.  
  
Markus got up and had to duck a little so he didn't knock himself out. He shook his head  
down at her. "Theire'll firnd mifre. Kill mifre."  
  
"Let me go with you. Please."  
  
"Whery?"  
"I think I love you." She said blushing. She packed a bag with some food, blankets and  
clothing then strapped it to her back.  
  
He stared at her, amber eyes were wide. He licked a cut on his paw thinking if she could  
really love him. But the dog barks brought him back, he had no time for those thoughts.  
  
"Crome." He took her hand and they ran out of the niche through the sleeping streets and  
into the outlying forest. Markus was surprised at how fast Tanya could run she was right  
beside him, jumping over fallen trees and running through streams and brambles.  
  
After many hours they were safe. They had lost the hunters. "We can't go back. It's not  
safe for both of us." Tanya said.  
  
"I'm soerie." He said looking down at her.  
  
"that's okay. I think we should stay in these woods. It's safe. I know how to camp. It  
will just be a longer trip."  
  
They searched the woods till they found a clearing and old wolf den. Markus worked on  
the den for hours till it was large enough for both of them. They settled in, Markus and  
Tanya got leaves put them on the floor making a nice soft layer. Tanya got the blanket  
out of her bag and put it in one corner, a bed.  
  
A year later:  
  
Tanya was sleeping when Markus woke her up. "Hunters. There nearby there going to  
come soon, we have to run." His speech was much better with a year of coaching from  
Tanya.  
  
Tanya got up heaving her body. Her stomach was bulging with pregnancy. She placed a  
hand on her stomach. "Should I pack a bag?"  
  
He put his thumb/claw in his mouth, "Yes, do that. I don't know if we'll get back."  
  
She did that and they ran into the woods again. They ran a little slower this time because  
of Tanya's load.   
  
The stopped in a clearing between the middle of a little pond in a . There was a rock  
where Tanya sat. They stopped to think, they could hear the hounds behind them gaining  
ground. There was a thicket to the side that looked like it could hide a bear, Markus  
looked down at the sweat soaked, dirt covered girl. "Tanya. Hide, over there."  
  
"Hide, but Markus I don't want you to..."  
  
"Go!" He growled.   
  
She looked up to him her eyes filled with tears. She reached up and pulled his face close  
to hers. "Please, don't get yourself get killed." She kissed his nose and ran to hide.   
  
He looked where she had gone into the thickets and ran back the way he had come.   
  
He ran so that the dogs would hear him again and follow him. And not find her.  
  
That's when he stumbled into Daine and Numair.   
  
"Tanya." He said, "I have to go back. She's with child."  
  
Numair was looking at Markus in the strangest way. "Where you always like this?"  
  
"What?"   
  
"Were you always a wolf/man?" Numair studied Markus.  
  
"No."  
  
"What were you?"  
  
"A man."  
  
"Did you have a name?"  
  
"Jamal."  
  
"Jamal Kinntyu?"  
  
"Yes, how do you?"  
  
"Don't you remember me? Numair Salmalin?" Jamal shook his head, "Arram Draper?"  
  
"Arram! You look different, your hair."  
  
"What happened?" Numair asked.   
  
He shrugged "A spell went wrong. I was shapshifting and got stuck."  
  
"But how are you in Tortall I saw you in Carthak before I fled."  
  
"I want to go back to Tanya, she needs me."  
  
"Yes Numair, he said she's pregnant we should see if she's all right." Daine spoke up  
finally.  
  
They walked into the woods until they found Tanya. She was laying in the thicket  
hiding.   
  
******************************  
So why is Numair sick? What will happen? Stay tunned... 


	2. Finding safety

"Tanya, come out I have friends," Markus said to a thicket in the Undine's clearing that  
Numair and Daine both recognized from Daine's first real look at her magic.  
  
Daine sighed, how had she gone from an uneducated child to the wild mage? What a life  
I have led, Daine thought to herself.  
  
Tanya came out of the thicket and into the clearing with a pack on her back. She stood  
behind Markus looking at the strangers. It had been a long time since she had seen a  
human.   
  
"Tanya this is my boyhood friend Arram, now Numair." Tanya nodded at him  
recognizing the name of the famous mage. "And this is his friend...Daine."  
  
"I thought you were a couple." Tanya said and instantly regretted it. That had been the  
idle gossip a year ago. She thought of what the wildmage could do to her for speaking so  
freely. The wildmage was a noble!  
  
"You are right." Daine said and showed the girl her hand that was home to the ring that  
ment so much to her. "We were married last month, on the equinox."   
  
"Congratulations!"  
  
"Thanks, now you two should come with us to our rooms. Right Numair?"  
  
"Yes, some food and warmth will do you both some good. But first we'll go see the  
king." Numair said.  
  
"The King!" Markus exclaimed. Tanya's eyes grew wide in fear.  
  
"There is nothing to be afraid of." Daine said. "Jon is a good man."  
  
"Look at me." Markus said. "I'm not human anymore. I'm a beast. He wouldn't want  
me in his home. Take Tanya, I can stay out here."  
  
"NO!" Tanya wailed clinging to him. "King Jonathan is a good king. Even I know that.   
I believe he will not turn us away."   
  
"She's right." Numair said. "I would not lead you into danger and believe me you will  
be safe in there."  
  
"Fine, Ar- Numair but how will you get me into the palace without starting a panic?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"See!" Markus said. "There isn't a way. No matter what the king says I'm still a  
hideous creature and a panic will start at the sight of me."  
  
Daine spoke up. "I'm notorious for having animals follow me into my rooms and at  
times to see the king. No one will really look if you walk on all fours like a wolf."  
  
"Are you sure?" Markus asked.   
  
"Of course I'm not sure but that's what I think." She huffed. "And I really think Tanya  
should see a healer."  
  
He instantly agreed. "You're right, fine lets go see the king."  
  
They walked out of the forest and through the pony pasture. The ponies in the field shied  
away from Daine when they saw the wolf/man on all fours at her heals. Ahead of Daine  
and Markus, Numair was walking next to Tanya. Numair had let the fox go when it  
woke up and it had run back to it's den to tell it's family that all was well.  
  
"Will Tanya be safe in the palace?" Markus asked as he followed Daine.   
  
"Yes that building is the safest that I have ever been in. Your wife will be fine."  
  
"Well...she's not my wife. Not technically. But yes we are husband and wife." He  
paused and then asked. "Our child. Will it be 'normal'? Will it be deformed? Will it  
survive? I feel like she may not be able to survive the birth."  
  
Daine slowed down so that she was walking along side of him. "I'm not a human healer  
Markus. I really don't know. That's why I wanted Tanya to come to the palace, so she  
would be well cared for. We have the best healers at the palace."  
  
"I've been so worried. I knew I couldn't help if she gave birth. Now I don't have to  
worry about doing something wrong to the baby. Someone who was trained will help  
her."  
  
They got to an entrance and regrouped. Then Numair led the way to a room where he  
knew the king would be. He knocked on the door.  
  
A red headed woman opened the door. "Numair! What in the world? It's late, almost  
midnight."  
  
"I- we need to see Jonathan." The mage said. And Alanna saw Daine, the young girl and  
the wolf. "It's important."  
  
"Fine, come in we're having a late drink, join us." She let them in and was disturbed  
when the wolf got on his hind legs and walked like a human.  
  
Jonathan was up and greeting the people, "Numair, Daine how nice to see you. Who are  
your friends?"  
  
Tanya looked away from the sharp gaze of the king aware of her ragged clothes and limp  
blake hair. She was also aware of the fact that she was a young pregnant woman, a  
woman who had been a girl not long before she became pregnant. She was embarrassed.   
Then she thought about how much she loved Markus and looked back into the kings  
eyes, unafraid. "I'm Tanya."  
  
The king nodded approvingly. And looked at Markus. "Daine, you have a new friend?"  
  
"Well." Daine said searching for an explanation. "He's not one of my normal friends.   
He is a friend but..."  
  
"Spit it out Daine." Alanna said impatiently and Jon glared at the red head.  
  
"Maybe Markus should ask." She said looking at the wolf/man who was standing next to  
Numair.   
  
"Sire," Markus said hesitantly. "I have come to your palace to find sanctuary from  
hunters and hounds. For the safety of my wife and unborn child. We would not be a  
burden I assure you and will leave if you wish."  
  
Jon looked at Markus studied him carefully. He was mildly dicusted at the sight of the  
naked wolf man, and feared having it in his home. He looked over at the young woman  
again and saw the love she had for the beast. He would need to hear this story, but for  
now: "My good man, there is no reason for me to refuse you. You are welcome to stay  
with Numair and Daine until we find room for you. It will not take to long until one of  
the guest rooms is empty. So please stay as long as you like."  
  
"I thank you and wish to ask you one more thing."  
  
"Then ask."  
  
"Could a healer see to Tanya. I wish to know that she is well."  
  
Alanna moved away from the door over her shock. "I will see to her I'm a healer."  
  
"The lioness?" Tanya whispered unsettled. Too many famous people in such a short  
amount of time, she was overwhelmed.  
  
"It's Alanna," The woman led the girl to a corner and had her sit down. "I'm going to  
look inside you and at your child. You may feel a tingle that is just my magic."  
  
The girl nodded fear still in her eyes.   
***  
Daine was at the window looking at the moon while Jon and Numair were talking to  
Markus when Alanna and Tanya came out of the corner. Tanya had a huge smile on her  
face when she looked into Markus's eyes.  
  
"Markus smile. They're healthy."  
  
He jumped up and huged her. "That's great!" It finally sunk in. "Wait, they?"  
  
"Twins! It's twins!"  
  
"Oh Tanya I'm so happy! They're healthy!"  
  
After they calmed down and those around them contgradulated them, Numair asked,  
"You were shapeshifting and you just froze in between?"  
  
Markus sighed, his friend never forgot an intrigation. "Yes, I was spying on Orzone and  
was caught. I tried to shape shift to wolf and he put a magic on me. He made SURE  
that I was caught in between. He had his slaves capture me, they muzzled me and locked  
me in a wooden crate. They bolted it shut and Orzone said to me before I was loaded on  
a ship, "Wolf/man you are being sent to a land where you may wreck havoc and do work  
for me. Hopefully being in this crate will make you mad." He hoped that I would, while  
crated, go crazy. I almost did, but the fact that that was what he wanted was enough to  
keep me sane. He let me go like this because I could not speak and I looked hideous. No  
one would ever help me.  
  
"He was right for five years I roamed the contry side stealing food and being chased by  
fritened farmers and villagers. That is until last year when I met Tanya. She loved me  
after a few hours together. And now I will have two healthy children. I beat Orzone after  
all."   
  



	3. The Past

Later that night Numair and Daine were getting ready to go to bed. Daine was already settled with Kitten by her side. Numair was putting on his night shirt.  
  
Daine looked at him when he sat down on the bed. "This has been a fair strange night Numair. Are Tanya and Markus settled in the other room?"  
  
"Yeah. I forgot about that guest room. They should be comfortable. At least it's not the floor of a old wolf den." The mage shook his head. "He was my best friend. I just feel like I let him down some how."  
  
"Numair there was nothing you could have done. You had already fled for your life. There was no way to save him from this fate. You were juggling in the streets, half starved and he could not help you. How do you think he felt when you fled without telling him? And he didn't even know if you were alive?"  
  
"I guess you're right. Oh, magelet. I just have all these old feelings resurfacing."  
  
"Lay down then and rest. You can't sort anything out after a night like this one."  
  
He agreed and crawled into the bed. "Good night magelet."  
  
"Good night my love. Feel better in the morning. I know this must be hard for you." She fell asleep soon after.  
  
But Numair was unable to sleep. He stayed in bed all night looking at the ceiling till the sun came back out. The birds were singing happily at the window. He guessed they were waking Daine up when he felt her sit up, he closed his eyes and pretended he was asleep.  
  
He knew she was looking down at him. Her hand on his arm. She shook him. "Numair it's dawn, time to wake up."  
  
He opened his eyes and yawned. "Already?"  
  
"Yes, let's see if Markus and Tanya are up. It's a new day!" She jumped out of the bed and went over to the window. She fed the birds and got dressed. She went back to the bed and looked down at the man.  
  
"Get up! Why are you still in bed?"  
  
"I don't feel good." He said lamely.  
  
The woman felt his forehead. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Maybe it's a bug." Numair said. "I don't think I should see anyone today."  
  
She looked down at him. "I think I know now." She sighed, "Fine you can stay in bed. I will talk with your friend and his wife. Maybe a tour of the palace, so I can keep him away from you so that you do not have to face your past."  
  
"Daine, that's not it."  
  
"Then what is it? I may not be a healer of humans but I know you're not sick. What is it? Why don't you tell me?"  
  
"I don't want to tell anyone! Like you told me once that you have things you didn't feel like sharing, now I have my own personal things. And that's what's inside. I don't want to share!"  
  
"Numair! This is not like you! Something isn't right. It's your past, you just don't want to face leaving it all behind!"  
  
Numair jumped out of the bed, "Just go Daine! And keep him away from me!"  
  
"I don't want to go Numair! I want to help. I want to be here for you. I love you. And you love me. This is not healthy for you to be like this. What is wrong?"   
  
"Everything." Numair said falling to his knees and sobbing.   
  
What is going on? Daine thought. Why is my husband getting like this? What is wrong?  
  
"Numair, come on. Shh..." She sat on the floor and did her best to cradle him in her arms. She was having no luck holding him the way she wanted to. After a while Numair had spent his tears and was calming down.  
  
"Daine, I love you. Thank you for staying with me. You're right. I don't want to face leaving it all behind." He shrugged.  
  
"Don't you see Numair?" Wife said to husband, "We were both turned away from a place we loved. Away from our homes. I know how you feel, like you were slapped in the face. Markus was the spark that uncovered it all, his presence spelt it out for you. You left your home. All those people to their fates. But Numair, it was leave them or die. If you had been killed...I don't even want to think about where I would be."  
  
Numair remembered the madness that had lurked at the edge of her humanity and shuttered, what if nobody had known about wild magic? She could have gone mad for good. "Daine, you are quite a woman."  
  
"Thank you. Are you feeling better?" She started to get up.  
  
"I am," He stopped her attempt to stand by pulling her down into a hug, then a kiss. When they finished Numair got dressed and followed Daine into the main room, the dragon following with cat-like grace. 


End file.
